Improvement in top-supports for carriages



A. GOODYEAR. Top-Support for Carriages.

Paten.ted.March16,1875.

Irwenfon PLAGLNX.

UNITE STATES PATENT ()rrro ANDREW GOODYEAR, OF ALBION, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO ZEBULON 0. BROWN, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN TOP-SUPPORTS FOR CARRIAGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.160,894, dated March 16, 1875 application filed February 8, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW GOODYEAR, of Albion, inthe county of Oalhoun and State of Michigan, have invented a certain Improvement in Buggy-Tops, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to devices used for relieving the bows of buggy-tops from the injurious effects of jolts and jars when folded down; and it consists of a flattened C-spring, to be attached, one to each arm, ordinarily projecting from the body of the buggy, supporting the top when folded down. The upper free end of the spring is provided with a cushion or pad, to obviate unnecessary wear on the leather covering of the top.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of one form of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of another form.

. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate still another modification.

The same letters of reference are used in all the figures in the designation of identical parts.

The lower leg of the flattened C-sprin g Ais provided at its extremity with a clamping device, by means of which it can be firmly secured to the arm projecting laterally from the rear end of the body of the buggy. As shown in Fig. 1, this clamp is simply an eye, a, formed by bending the end of the spring, and provided with screws a, for securing the eye on the arm. In some cases these arms are also used forfulcrums of the braces. Of course it would be impracticable to slip a spring upon them by means of a simple eye formed in one of its legs. For use in connection with such arms, the clamping device shown in Fig: 2 is provided, consisting of a semicircular bend, b, in the spring, combined with a similarlycurved cap, I), and clamping-screws The other upper leg of the spring carries at its extremity a pad, B, composed of stuffed leather or an india-rubber block. It may be riveted on the spring, as shown in Fig. 1, or screwed on so that the points of the screws shall not pass entirely through the pad, as seen in Fig. 2 or the pad may be carried on a separate plate, B, pivoted transversely on the spring at c, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

I prefer the latter method of connecting the spring and pad, because the pad will swing on its pivot under jars of the top, moving with the top, and obviating friction, and consequently undue wear on the top. It will be understood that the rear bow of the top,when folded down, will be supported on each side upon my padded springs.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As a new article of manufacture, the spring A, provided with a clamping device at one end, and a pad, B, at the other end, sub- 

